Knowing Our Worst Fear
by werewolfgirl3
Summary: Knowing and realizing our worst fear, both for ourselves and for the most important person to us, is not an easy thing to realize, as Wrathion finds out one night. I'm hoping to make this into a full-fledged story, but for now I'll post this as a one-shot. Rating T just to be safe, though there's not really anything down-right explicit.


So my mom woke me up at 6am this morning (3/2/13), asking if I knew where her work shoes were (Why the hell would I know?!). I am rather grateful she did though, because I had a vague scene in my head from what I guess was a dream she woke me from, and after she left and I lay in bed thinking about it, I decided to put what I could remember down, and kinda just went from there. For the first time ever, thank you Mom for waking me up way-too-fucking-early. So before you read this, know that yes, it is male homosexual relationship and even better, it's cross-racial! Wooo! ALSO, if you do not like fanfics with major character deaths, DON'T WORRY, and please read to the end.

EDIT 7/10/2013: Sooo, rereading this, I think I cringed so many times I developed an eye twitch. I have edited it after reassessing my view of the character and personalities of both Anduin and Wrathion. Anduin is not as hard, because there are many aspects of his character that fall in line with other characters that I have read and written of. Wrathion on the other hand, is a bit more unique and damn his character for being so hard to write. He is a smarmy, self-serving egotistical brat, but then you have the moments when you see that he actually _cares_ about the good of Azeroth (the audio with Chi-Ji specifically), so it gives you reason to believe that while he doesn't particularly care for the whole of the mortal races, he may allow himself to become attached to one or two that he sees as equals to himself (there is likely VERY few of those around to be honest though).

Damn, good for nothing, smirking, overconfident, self-centered reptile...

So now, without further ado, my first WrathionxAnduin fanfic.

* * *

For the first time in a long time, he and Anduin were completely and truly utterly alone. And for the first time, as the older boy drew in ragged breaths, he found himself wishing hopelessly that they were not.

Even as the new Earthwarder, he was not a healer like his prince counterpart.

A sort of pain welled up in his chest; In the back of his mind he hoped the monster had not poisoned him in some other way, but he pushed the consistent stinging away to concentrate on putting pressure on the sluggishly but steadily bleeding wound on the boy's stomach. Their enemy was dead behind him, he knew, by Anduin's final, frantic attack—his attack that had protected, _saved_ the dragon, and in turn had saved thousands of lives and protected the world that he loved, that which would have been threatened by another crazed dragon. But casting the Light so solidly in one attack left him wide open and the Prince of Stormwind was rewarded with the damned monster's tentacle imbedded in his own body.

Freed from the monstrosity's spell, he had awakened with a joy so fierce that it shown on his face-only to feel that joy shatter and fall, pierced as he stared in horror at the other prince before him. Anduin collapsed then with a strangled cry. The dragon was by the pale human within a second, panic screaming in his heart, laying him on his back even as the boy spasmed and silently screamed in agony. Only as he pulled the limb out from the older prince's stomach, as swift and gently as he could, did the sickly violet-green poison seeping into his wound make itself apparent.

The monster had died then with what he was sure was the equivalent of a grin on what passed for a mouth.

Anduin had gone limp in relief and his screams had dissolved to gasps and sobs as soon as the limb was taken out of him. It had taken a half bell though of his attempts to stop the blood flow for Anduin to stop the tears of pain. And even so, ever few minutes another surprise wave of hot, searing pain would cause him to spasm wildly, forcing the younger prince to shove him down and keep him still. Death was slow to bring Anduin the hazy, cold numbness that was brought to his less fortunate victims.

"Wra…"Anduin tried to take in another breath, his eyes flickering shut then open again, shaking slightly from the effort. "My father, tell him I'm sor—"

"Shut. Up."

"Wrath—"

Wrathion was suddenly so angry he could not communicate with actual verbal language, simple snarling with lips curled slightly. Anduin looked at the younger prince with remorseful cloudy blue eyes as the other hissed his words. "Don't you _dare_ die on me, Anduin, not here. Not now. Azeroth still needs you, you self-righteous—". The dying boy before him lifted a weak hand and without thought he grabbed onto it, pressing it to his cheek, only then realizing that at some point the dam had broken and hot tears were trailing down onto that hand and off his jaw.

_Oh_. The sting in his heart made more sense now.

The dragon actually choked, his words left to hang with the guilt and regret lingering in the air.

_Don't die after showing me hope. After practically shoving it in my face._

_Not after leaving yourself exposed to protect me._

"I don't believe…either of us has a choice at this point, Spice."

He snarled quietly with a small, bitter grin at the name. "I told you not to call me that"

"Told you…would if you're…being stupid."

"_You're_ the one being stupid; _I_ am trying to keep you alive! Now shut up and—"

Anduin gasped just then, and he knew the signs well enough by now to clamber on top of him, his shins forcing the prince's legs down and his hands clamping his arms to his side, as another eruption of agony ran its course through him.

His back arched, and the dragon could feel every muscle he held still strain weakly against him, but Anduin refused to make a sound, not a single scream would he give to the monster that was killing him posthumously. As the last shot of pain finished its lap throughout him, the dragon above released him, but stayed hovering over him, leaning forward and hiding his face in the human's collarbone.

"…Dammit. Anduin. Anduin. _Anduin_."

He couldn't save him. The one thing that he had truly chosen for himself—not for the good of Azeroth, not something to repay the great debt of life his father had accrued, something for _himself_—and the dragon couldn't save him now when he needed it most.

He knew, logically, it wasn't his fault. There had been nothing he could have done. He had been completely at the monster's insane mercy, and if his partner had not delivered the finishing blow, he would have treaded the same path as his father, his secret nightmare. The one that only Anduin knew of. And so the human prince had chosen to take a desperate risk. A risk that had worked, but left him with a mortal wound, oozing with the poison that had coated the entire monster like a layer of filth, a poison that even the accomplished priest couldn't heal, could not save himself from, and was killing him slowly, torturously.

Rationally, he knew all this, but it did nothing to stop the guilt and shame and _heart-break_.

"…Anduin, please—." He begged, disregarding his pride for once, because there was nothing he could do, nothing in his power or abilities to help him with.

"Wrai—". The prince of light was cut short by the touch of blood in the back of his throat, turning his face away to cough harshly for a moment. Anduin looked again to find the dark red irises trained on him with rare face of open fear and panic, a flood of tears still rushing down his dark face. It was these scarce moments that reminded Anduin just how young his lover was, far younger than he was. And despite the experiences life had handed to the dragon, despite how much he knew of the world, the human prince was frightened of what losing someone he loved would do to him.

Anduin did not want to leave this person, the person he had chosen as his most important in his life. He did not want to leave him to deal with a broken heart so early in what would likely be a very _long_ lifetime. The regret and the thought of his lover's future shattered his own heart. "I'm sorr-"

He was cut off again by lips that crashed to his desperately. Wrathion did not want to hear this; He did _not _want to recognize that his lover was dying, leaving everything and everyone behind for a place he could not follow. He did not want to hear a goddamn _apology_ from this important person, as though it was his fault. He knew who was at fault here, and it was not his dying partner's. It was his, his and that evil creature's that lay dead behind them. For a moment, as he pulled away to stare at the fading prince's eyes, he wished viciously that the thing was still alive, just so he could kill it again, tear its limbs off one by one, gorge out its numerous eyes, disembowel it of whatever it had for a heart, if it even had one and burn it slowly as the bastard died again, watching.

The poison continued to take his lover slowly, unhurriedly.

The Black Prince sat with the White Prince, listening to his short breaths, hearing his heart beat quickly in anxiety, and then begin to slow as if resigned to its fate.

He took Anduin's hand, and felt a shaky squeeze in return.

He moved to cradle Anduin's head in his lap, running his free hand through the blonde's hair, something Anduin enjoyed but only allowed in their most private moments.

"You…don't have to stay…"

_You don't have to watch._ Wrathion heard the unspoken words as the human tried to let go of their hands and looked away. For a moment, the dragon appreciated once again how often Anduin thought of others, but then snorted at the absurdity and gripped their hands all the tighter.

"You should really learn to be just a little more selfish." Anduin's cloudy eyes met his again in confusion. "I am not going to leave. I am staying until you do."

The amount of relief that rushed through the human prince showed on his face, and his own hold on his partner's hand regained its grip. It was incredibly selfish to ask his lover to stay and watch, so that he would have someone near him that cared when he took that last breath. It was selfish and needy and he was exceedingly relieved because he _wanted_ someone around, and if he could only have one close to him, then he'd want the person that so clearly loved him the most in their life.

Anduin took in another breath, more ragged, shorter than before, and darkness showed itself strongly on the outer edges of his sight. "Wrath, I—", He was cut off by the lack of air that his lungs could no longer hold, and he knew he could no longer speak.

"I know," and the dragon prince leaned down and kissed him. "Love you too", he murmured against their lips, because they'd never said it out loud, and he knew that was what his lover had been trying to say. Anduin looked relieved that at least the message had gotten across, and he smiled shakily. And as Wrathion kissed his lover once more, he moved the hand in his hair to cradle his head, as though to hold him there until help could arrive.

They both knew it was too late.

Anduin pulled back one last time, took one final breath.

The dragon stared in shock as Anduin's eyes closed for the last time, as his terminal breath left him. He stayed, leaning over his beloved's body, for a moment more before his face twisted in pain and sorrow. He jerked the now empty shell awkwardly into his arms, headless of the staining blood, and muffled his screams of heart-breaking misery into his dead partner's skin.

* * *

Wrathion awoke bolting upright, mouth open in a silent scream, breath heavy and sweat layering his skin. The sun was only just beginning to make an appearance in the form of a faint line of light outside the window. His abrupt movement woke the other person in his bed, eyes widening and a glow rising to his fingertips in expectation of an attack, for what else could have roused his partner? Instead he found a pair of arms rushing to him, desperation fueling a kiss, and the Light he had called faded in his surprise. Wrathion was frantic and it stunned him, but he didn't have time to ask, shuddering when the dragon prince moved to pin him underneath. A hand in his hair forced him still as they kissed and he shivered. The Black Prince always showed some form of possession in their touches, but this was different. His hold was tight, even as his hands shook; He acted as though Anduin would disappear at any moment. After a moment, Wrathion pulled away to give them both breathing time, and then met their lips again, calmer this time though, slower and softer. When they separated again, the dragon hid himself in the crook of his neck.

Still stunned and trying to catch his breath, the prince of the light moved his arms slowly from their place by his head where they had been pinned before, wrapping his arms around his lover's waist. "Wrathion?"

"Anduin, please…" The answer was quiet and partially broken, but he heard, and he dragged in a surprised breath; how many times had the dragon pleaded for anything, from anyone? The distress in the voice though was foremost in his mind, and he pulled the two of them further together, hearing a sigh of relief in return. He would question his consort later; for now, he would simply give the reassurance that the other seemed to need.

After all, to Anduin, Wrathion would always come before himself.


End file.
